Basketball

USA hold off France to win fourth straight Olympic basketball gold

August 7, 2021 4:37 pm

[Source: USA Basketball/Twitter]

The US men’s team clinched its fourth Olympic gold in a row after beating France 87-82 in the final at the Tokyo Olympics.

Kevin Durant scored 29 points and joined Carmelo Anthony as the only three-time men’s gold medalists in Olympic history.

Durant sealed it with two free throws with 8.8 seconds left, making the outcome academic.

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The lead was five, France’s final possession was irrelevant, and it was over.


The U.S. players gathered for a hug at midcourt, Durant, Bam Adebayo and Draymond Green wrapped themselves in American flags, and the journey was complete.

Jayson Tatum finished with 19 points, Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday each scored 11 for the U.S.

Evan Fournier and Rudy Gobert each scored 16 for France, which now has four silver medals — all coming after gold-medal-game losses to the U.S. Guerschon Yabusele scored 13, Nando de Colo had 12 and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot scored 11 for France.

Frank Ntilikina’s 3-pointer got France within 73-70 with 5:42 left, but the U.S. had a quick answer — a 9-2 run that restored a 10-point lead on Tatum’s 3-pointer.

[Source: Tokyo Olympics]